“Maybe They’ll Send Him at No.11!” – Srikkanth Slams Gambhir For Sanju Samson’s Batting Position

Kris Srikkanth criticised Gautam Gambhir for constantly shifting Sanju Samson’s batting position, calling him the most unlucky player who has no choice but to stay silent.

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth voiced strong support for Sanju Samson, questioning the inconsistent handling of the wicketkeeper-batter’s batting position by Gautam Gambhir. Samson, who scored three centuries as a T20I opener between July 2024 and the Asia Cup, lost his place at the top in the Australia T20I series when Shubman Gill returned.

During the Asia Cup in the UAE, he was moved to the middle order without a stable position, batting at No. 5 in three games and missing out in another despite India losing six wickets. Srikkanth expressed disappointment at how Samson continues to be shuffled across roles despite consistent performances, calling for clarity and fairness in his selection.

“The guy who’s most unlucky is Sanju Samson. He was scoring centuries as an opener. But now they send him everywhere — from No. 3 to No. 8. If given an opportunity, they may send him at No. 11 also! A person like Sanju will naturally feel bad after doing so well at the top, but he has no option but to be tight-lipped and bat wherever the team asks him to,” Srikkanth said in his YouTube channel.

“The only good thing is he did well at No. 5 in the Asia Cup. It’s a good sign because Sanju is now the automatic choice as the first wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup,” he added.

Sanju Samson Opens Up on His Changing Role

Earlier, Sanju Samson shared his thoughts on adapting to a changing role within India’s T20I setup. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has featured in multiple positions over the years, said he is comfortable switching between roles as per team requirements.

“To be honest, I have played a lot of different roles for a lot of different teams,” Samson had told the broadcasters.

READ ALSO | Sanju Samson Opens Up on Batting Order Shift After Shubman Gill’s Return

“I have been part of this team for a long time now and have done different roles. I have opened the batting and I have finished matches. Now, I am batting in the middle order. Only the openers are fixed in this team. The rest of the batters have to be ready to bat at any time and in any situation. We are well prepared for that,” he added.